North Carolina
North Carolina QB Drake Maye fueled by late struggles, not Heisman hype, ahead of 2023 season
![North Carolina QB Drake Maye fueled by late struggles, not Heisman hype, ahead of 2023 season North Carolina QB Drake Maye fueled by late struggles, not Heisman hype, ahead of 2023 season](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2023/07/27/1cf135f4-229d-475a-b969-02e28ffbcd3a/thumbnail/1200x675/2649dd1b4b9efa60bd484e67be863148/drake-maye.jpg)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye has only 14 career starts but enters the 2023 season as one of the biggest stars in all of college football. The ACC Football Kickoff obliged with Heisman Trophy buzz, talk of conference championship hopes and projections that Maye could be among the first players taken in the upcoming NFL Draft. Instead, Maye has focused on where he can improve after a frustrating finish to his otherwise phenomenal redshirt freshman season.
The hype is all valid given what went well last season. Maye eclipsed 5,000 yards of total offense and scored 45 touchdowns. The list of players who have hit similar benchmarks in a season — 4,000 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, 650 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns — is elite and includes Robert Griffin III (2011), Johnny Manziel (2013), Marcus Mariota (2014), Deshaun Watson (2015-16), Kyler Murray (2018) and now Drake Maye. That’s four Heisman Trophy winners and a national champion, and 10 games into the season it looked like Maye’s historic year might end up with a trip to New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
But Maye knows that those high-end national accolades require more than individual production. Those kinds of honors start with team success, and while North Carolina was 9-1 in November when the Heisman hype rally ramped up, a four-game losing streak to close the year put a damper on that campaign. So when the season was over, his focus immediately turned to improvement.
“After the season Drake came in to me and said, ‘Help me with these things, these are things I need to improve.’ That’s who he is,” Mack Brown said on Thursday. “That’s why he is such a great player. He was raised in a family of champions. He was raised in a family of athletes. His dad was a great quarterback. So he is always looking at what I can do better instead of patting himself on the back.
“He is a little bit like me,” Brown continued. “We have to be careful with him because he is too hard on himself, and he is always ‘I didn’t do this right.’ Well, let’s talk about what you did right too, so we can do that.”
And there certainly some things that went well. Maye swept through the ACC, winning Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year while earning spots on national Freshman All-America teams and being the FWAA Freshman of the Year. Still, the way things ended have left a sour taste in the mouths of Maye and his Tar Heel teammates.
“Obviously the way we ended last year, lost a lot of close games. Any way you end the season like that, I use it as motivation. That’s all we talk about,” Maye explained. “We were 9-1 rolling into Georgia Tech, and we finished 9-5. Just finding ways to use it as motivation, but at the same time get over that hump and look forward to this season. We’re excited. That’s our goal to get back to the ACC championship … that’s what we’re working towards.”
The smallest of margins stung the most for North Carolina, with three of those four losses being defeats of four points or fewer. One play here or one play there could have had the Tar Heels in the mix for a New Year’s Six bowl game, and it likely would have included even more national attention for Maye. While Maye’s 2022 was historic, he knows that getting better at the margins can lead to more team success as North Carolina looks for a stronger finish. If the Tar Heels can do that, all the other accolades will certainly follow.
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North Carolina
Tropical weather update for Wilmington: What we can expect and when
![Tropical weather update for Wilmington: What we can expect and when Tropical weather update for Wilmington: What we can expect and when](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/08/03/PPEN/74658494007-153935-5-day-cone-no-line-and-wind.png?auto=webp&crop=896,504,x0,y0&format=pjpg&width=1200)
The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor a tropical depression over Cuba. It’s expected to become a tropical storm later Saturday, bringing impacts to the Carolinas around the middle of next week.
Heavy rainfall and flooding are the primary impacts expected, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
“Gusty winds are also possible, but it is too early to predict specific impacts in great detail at this time,” the weather service said.
At the same time, there is the potential for heavy rainfall and some flooding associated with front expected to stall inland this weekend.
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, the center of the tropical depression, which would be name Debby if it becomes a tropical storm, was over Cuba and moving west-northwest near 15 mph. The hurricane center said a turn toward the northwest is forecast for Saturday, followed by a northward motion on Sunday and then a slower northeastwardmotion Sunday night and Monday.
Maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph. Slow strengthening is expected throughout the day Saturday. Faster strengthening is possible Sunday, with the storm nearing hurricane strength when it reaches the Florida Gulf Coast, the hurricane center said.
STORM TRACKER: Monitor the latest tropical developments here.
Here’s a look at what we can expect in the Wilmington area, according to the latest briefing from the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
Wind
The probability of tropical storm force winds has increased, especially for the South Carolina coast. The most likely time of arrival of for northeast South Carolina is Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and for Southeastern North Carolina is during Wednesday morning.
Rain
The potential for significant rainfall exists with 8 to 12 inches possible from near Cape Fear to portions of thenortheast South Carolina coast. Flash flooding and urban flooding are possible. Some rivers, including the North Cape Fear River and the Waccamaw River, could exceed flood stage next week.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Enter your address to see hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed nearby
Marine impacts
Rough surf, including dangerous rip currents, and hazardous marine conditions are expected this weekend and will persist into the upcoming week.
Are you prepared for a hurricane?
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Even if this system won’t pose a threat to the NC coast, it’s never too early to be prepared.
GET READY: Are you prepared for a hurricane? Here’s what to know if you live in the Wilmington area.
North Carolina
Tropical Depression Four forms on its way to the Gulf of Mexico
As of the 5 AM update Friday, Tropical Depression Four has formed. Areas along the East Coast including North Carolina need to continue monitoring this system. Winds are at 30 MPH and gusts are up to 40 MPH. The pressure dropped to 1009 mb and is moving to the west at 16 mph. TD 4 is expected to become Tropical Storm Debby over the weekend. Tuesday night and Wednesday are First Alert Weather Days due to the threat to ENC from this system but we may need to adjust the timing as we get closer.
It’ll move slowly before escaping to the north next week. As it moves up the East Coast, there’s a lot more uncertainty about the track and threats. We expect the track of this system to change through the weekend and even into next week. If ENC sees impacts from this system, they’d likely come mid-week. The longer this system stays over land, the weaker it’ll be. It’ll have the chance to strengthen if it moves back over open water, especially if it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.
The speed of this system is just as important as the strength. The quicker it moves through, the less rain piles up. If it slows down or stalls, higher rainfall amounts would be expected. Our river levels have dropped a bit since July’s wet weather, but levels are still higher than what you’d find in a typical August.
This is a reminder that we are heading into the heart of the hurricane season and to make sure your emergency supplies are ready.
Stay with WITN and WITN.com as we continue to track this system over the coming days and monitor the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
Copyright 2024 WITN. All rights reserved.
North Carolina
Alabama man on work trip stops to buy $3 quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot
![Alabama man on work trip stops to buy quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot Alabama man on work trip stops to buy quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/08/02/USAT/74654762007-screenshot-15.png?auto=webp&crop=1164,656,x0,y114&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Christopher Baker of Leesburg, Alabama was on a work trip in Hickory, North Carolina, when he thought he’d try his luck on a lotto game. It turned out to be a lucrative Powerball win.
An Alabama man on a work trip in North Carolina bought a $3 Quick Pick Powerball ticket on a whim and walked away with a six-figure windfall.
Christopher Baker of Leesburg in northeastern Alabama bought his lucky ticket in July in Hickory, North Carolina, where had been traveling for work, according to Powerball.
When the numbers were drawn, Baker says he had to do a double-take when he realized he had a $100,000 winning ticket. He had matched four white balls and the red Powerball, which would have been $50,000, but a 2X multiplier doubled the win and the disbelief.
“I just kept looking at it to make sure I was reading it right,” he laughed, according to Powerball. “I told my family but they didn’t believe me. either.”
Baker, who called his win “a shocker.” said he plans to save his winnings to buy a house.
Baker will take home $71,501 after federal and state taxes are withheld.
How to play the Powerball
In order to purchase a $2 Powerball ticket, you’ll have to visit your local convenience store, gas station or grocery store − and in a handful of states, you can purchase tickets online.
To play, you will need to pick six numbers in total to mark on your ticket. Five numbers will be white balls ranging from numbers 1 to 69. The Powerball is red and one number which is between 1 and 26.
If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can add a “Power Play” for $1 which increases the winnings for all non-jackpot prizes. This addition can multiply winnings by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X.
Players can also ask a cashier for a “Quick Pick” where a cashier will give you a computer generated numbers on a printed Powerball ticket.
Drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. If there’s no jackpot winner, the cash prize will increase by millions.
Where to purchase tickets
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050(MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.
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